Jihaad Campbell Ready For Whatever Role Awaits

The Philadelphia Eagles' first-round pick from a year ago learned a lot from Nakobe Dean and is looking forward to whatever his role will be when he returns for Year 2.

Jihaad Campbell talks with reporters on the Eagles' cleanout day after his rookie season ended with a first-round playoff loss. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Whatever happens with Nakobe Dean, whether he’s back in an Eagles uniform or in another NFL city this year, the linebacker left his mark after general manager Howie Roseman stopped Dean’s draft day slide by taking him in the third round of the 2022 draft, the 83rd pick overall.

“He’s a damn good football player,” said Jihaad Campbell after the season ended. “I learned a lot from that guy in the run game, blitzes, and the passing game, really just being a baller, being an absolute person who knows football. He’s one of the best linebackers I’ve ever worked with.”

Campbell then turned to a media member and said, “I feel if you played linebacker, he would teach you something.”

Dean has publicly expressed many times his desire to return to the Eagles. From the outside looking in, it doesn’t seem like it will happen, but maybe Roseman and his staff feel differently about keeping such a high-quality person and player on the team. There’s no telling how they feel about that.

Nakobe Dean's Future Uncertain

Zack Baun (left) and fellow linebacker Nakobe Dean celebrate the team's Super Bowl LIX win. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

If the Eagles low-ball a contract offer, if they make one at all, well, it was Campbell who made Dean expendable. It’s not his fault, really. Roseman decided to draft him in the first round last spring. It was a bit of a surprising pick since the Eagles hadn’t drafted an off-ball linebacker in forever. And they traded up a spot with the Kansas City Chiefs to do it.

Campbell looked like a defensive rookie-of-the-year candidate before Dean returned from his lengthy rehab from a knee injury suffered in the first playoff game of the Eagles run to the Lombardi Trophy.

When Dean returned mid-season, the Eagles tried Campbell on the edge at times – showing that he is very much a work in progress out there, with teams successfully running right at him – and put him on special teams.

“I’m hungry,” said Campbell before heading into the offseason. “I’ll give myself a grace period and just relax and get my mind off of things, but more importantly just stay sharp spiritually, stay sharp physically, stay sharp mentally and be the best I can be, so when I come back, I’m making sure I’m staying on top of everything I have to do.”

Again, from the outside looking in, it appears as if Campbell will take over for Dean and play next to Zack Baun, who said at the end of the season that Dean “is like a brother to me,” and pick an edge player on the first two days of April’s draft. Campbell couldn’t care less where his future lies positionally.

“I think it’s all about the value and how good you can be at anything that you’re put in,” he said. “Whether that’s being an L3 or R3 on kickoff or punt return or any of those things on special teams, but I think for me the biggest thing is all about just being trustworthy and being a great utilization in a scheme wherever they want me to be. Whether that’s inside linebacker, outside linebacker, but just making sure I’m on top of my things and having continuous improvement.”

More NFL: Former Eagles Coach And New Dallas DC Meets Media, Praises Vic Fangio